Machine for making nuts



Sept. 24, 1935. L. A. FRAYER MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTS- 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7. 1930 INVENTOR LEE 4 PRAYER ATTORNEYS P 4, 1935. 1.. A. FRAYER 2,015,595

MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTS Filed June 7, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LEE AFR/IVER.

7d) 71 m Afr w ATTORNEY;

Sept. 24, 1935. 1.. A. FRAYER MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTS Filed June 7, 1930 6 Sheets-She'et 3 INVENTOR (5 fl- PRAYER.

'ATTORNEY6 Sept. 24, 1935. 1.. A. FRAYER 2,015,395 v MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTS Filed June 7. 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 N NE INVENTOR LEE f'lV/IYER.

ATTORN EYS Sept. 24, 1935. A. FRAYER MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTS 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 7 L\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 'IIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIll/l/ INVENTOR. AFRAYER.

FIG.

Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTS Lee A. Frayer,

Kent, Ohio, assignor to Roy H.

Smith, Kent, Ohio H Application June '7, 1930, Serial No. 459,656

20 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a method and machine for making nuts, starting with nut blanks of a crude character and proceeding through a series of operations, causing a 8' gradual reduction in the outer dimensions of the blanks and a compacting, hardening and reached. Thereafter the hole in the blank is reamed, to bring it to exact diameter and center,

l either or both of the two faces of the blank are machined, and the hole is tapped.

At the present time, nut blanks of the highest grade are usually machined out of barstock. This method involves the expenditure of consid- 26 erable time, and wastes some little material because of the boring of the hole and because of the fact that the cutting tool for cutting off each blank must have width. The greater bulk of nut blanks now manufactured, however, are cold 25" pressed out of strip metal. Here, again, there is a waste of material which, in the case of hexagonal nuts, runs in the neighborhood of 45% of the gross. Nuts manufactured in accordance with my new method are of far better quality than those made from blanks pressed out of strip steel, and are equal, if not superior, in accuracy, strength, hardness and finish to nuts turned out of bar stock. The waste of metal, however, is but of the gross.

Accordingly, one of the objects of my invention is the provision of a method of making nuts which shall practically eliminate material waste and shall result in the formation of a nut of great precision, strength, hardness and fine finish.

Another object is the provision of a new method of making nuts from rough blanks, which involves passing oversized blanks through a series of reducing dies.

Another object is the provision of a machine adapted to carry the above method into effect automatically and to perform the desired additional operations, such as reaming the hole, machining the faces of the blank, and tapping the hole.

Various other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed for carrying out my method automatically.

Figures 2 and 3 are side and end elevations respectively of the same.

60 Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the transfer mechanism on a larger scale, this view being taken partly in vertical section upon the line 55 of Figure 2. 5

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 'l-| of Figure 4, with the cross head in the position of that 10 figure.

Figure 8 is a similar view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a similar view on the line 9-") of Figure 4. Figure 10 is a view similar, to Figure 9, but showing the parts in the position which they assume when the cross head is at the left limit of its movement.

Figures 11 and 12 are diagrammatic vertical sectional views taken substantially on the lines I l--l| and l2-l2 respectively of Figure 4.

Figure 13 is a plan-view of one of the oversized rough blanks which are fed into the machine as the material to be worked upon.

Figure 14 is a cross section on the line "-44 of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a plan view of the blank following the first reducing operation, wherein one side of the blank is countersunk.

Figure 16 is a cross section on the line l6|6 of Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a cross section of the blank following the second reducing operation, wherein the other side of the blank is countersunk.

Figure 18 is a plan view of the blank after it has passed through the third reducing die and afterthe hole in the blank has been reamed and one face of the blank has been crowned.

Figure 19 is an edge view of the same partly 40 broken away and partly in section.

Figure 20 is a plan view of that face of the blank which is opposite the one shown in Figure 18, and after the said face has been machined, as by the formation of a washer surface.

Figure 21 is an edge view, partly in section, of the blank shown in Figure 20, and

Figure 22 is a diametrical sectional view of the completed .nut following the tapping operation. 50

In the machine herein illustrated, the body or frame is shown at I0. In its opposite sides there are bearing supports H in which are mounted bushings I2 and I3 that form bearings for a main shaft I4, to which is secured at one end a 55 flywheel I5. A gear I6 is cut into the flywheel l5 and meshes with a pinion I! (Figure 3) that is driven by any suitable power connection, as from an electric motor l8.

The frame l0- is provided interiorly and at 60 the same height as the shaft H with a pair of oppositely disposed horizontal guides IS, in which there is mounted to slide a cross head 28. This cross head carries a pin 2|, in the nature of a piston pin, upon which one end of a connecting rod 22 is mounted to oscillate. The opposite end of this connecting rod contains a bushing 23 that surrounds a crank 24 or other eccentric formed as an integral part of the shaft M. The cross head 28 is therefore reciprocated in the guides l8.

On the forward end of the frame |8 of the machine I secure a heavy metal plate 25 in which the reducing dies are mounted. These dies are illustrated in Figure 4 at 26, 21 and 28. They are held in the plate 25 by any suitable means known in the art. These dies are reducing dies as contradistinguished from trimming dies. Their apertures are somewhat larger at the entrance end than at the exit end, but as this is a matter of thousandths only, the difference is not apparent in the drawings. It is to be understood that the terms reducing and reducing die, as hereinafter employed, shall be construed to exclude trimming" and "trimming-die respectively, or any dies or operations which effect a cutting of the blank as distinguished from a compressing or extruding of the same. It will be noted that the dies 26 and 28 face in one direcdownwardly extending projections 34 and 35 (see Figure 8) in which are mounted the rear ends of rods 36 and 31 that are secured at their front ends to a vertical cross bar 38. Integral with and extending rearwardly from the central point of this cross bar 38 is a sleeve 48 which slides in a cylindrical guide 4| suitably mounted in an extension 42 of the frame l8.

The sleeve 48 carries at its rear end a plunger 43 which is fixed in place by suitable means, such as set screws 44', and backed up by a threaded plug 38. The plunger 43 is shaped and sized to have an easy sliding fit within the aperture of die 21. All of the plungers 32, 33 and 43 are formed at their free extremities with arbors 44 of a size to fit the holes in the blanks, and 65 chute 46 which is channel shaped, as illustrated in Figure 6, and closed at one end 41. The upper wall of the channel is open or slotted, as indicated at 48, for a purpose hereafter to be described. At a point opposite the aperture in die 21, the vertical wall of the channel is cut out as at 49, in order that the plunger 43 may pass therethrough. On the rear side of the plate 25, I mount another horizontal chute 58, which is substantially the same as chute 46, the opening in the side wall of the channel in this instance being arranged opposite the aperture in die 28, so as to permit the plunger 33 to pass through the chute into the die. After a blank leaves die 26, it enters chute 46 and is slid along therein to the end of the chute. It then enters die 21, is pushed through the die and out into chute 58, after which it is slid along in that chute to the end thereof opposite the die 28, and is caused to enter that die. The transfer mechanism by means of which the blanks are caused to move along these chutes, will be described hereinafter. 5

The lengths of the plungers 32, 33 and 43 are such that the blanks, which appear in section in Figure 4, are pushed by the plungers not quite all the way through the dies. when the plungers move backwardly out of the dies, the blanks are held therein with a tight grip which readily overcomes the friction between the blanks and the arbors 44, thus insuring the withdrawal of the arbors. Thin fins of metal are sometimes extruded from the blanks and flow backward for a short distance over a surface of the plungers. These fins are removed by being folded down upon the rear face of the blank by the next succeeding blank, which pushes the first blank out of the die. Occasional fins of this character would 90 offer considerable difliculty to the transfer of blanks, were they permitted to remain upon the blanks. The method I employ of leaving each blank in the die until pushed out by the succeeding blank accomplishes the important result just as; stated, as well as the equally important result of insuring the firm retention of the blank while the arbor is being withdrawn.

The plunger 33 is of a length such as to move the blank-into the die 28 to a position where the so; forward side of the blank protrudes a short distance beyond the exit end of the die, as shown in Figure 4. The blank is thereby held as in a work chuck, but with the maximum of accuracy and firmness. While the blank is in this posias tion, a reaming tool 5| advances to ream out the hole in the blank to an accurate diameter and center, the accuracy of this operation being furthered by the accuracy of the chucking. The

reaming tool 5| is carried by a rotating head 52 40-;

which may also carrya crowning cutter 53.

The head 52 is secured to one end of a spindle 54 that is mounted in ball bearings 55 and 56 carried by a sleeve 51, that is slidable lengthwise in a housing 58. The spindle 54 is rotated con- 45- dicated in Figure 3 a chain of gears 6|, 62 and 63, 5o

by means of which power may be taken from a shaft 66 for this purpose.

The sleeve 51 has a toothed rack 61 cut into its upper outer surface. A pinion 68 meshes with this rack, and by its rotation causes the sleeve 51 55 to move longitudinally, this movement being permitted by the fact that the gear 58 is slidable across the surface of the gear 68. The pinion 68 is mounted on one end of a rock shaft 63 which has bearing in a housing 18, and is oscillated at regular intervals through a crank 1| and a connecting rod 12 from a cam mechanism presently to be described.

After the machining of the blank in die 28 is completed, the blank is expelled from the die by the next succeeding blank and transferred into a horizontal chute 13 and along said chute to the position indicated at A. Axially aligned with the hole in the blank in this intermediate position, there is a rotating head 14 secured to a spindle 70 15 which is mounted in ball bearings 16 and 11 carried by a reciprocable sleeve 18 having a rack 18 which meshes with a pinion 88. The spindle 15 carries a gear 8| which meshes with a wide gear 82 that is continuously driven by any suitable means from the motor It. The pinion 00 is mounted on a rock shaft 02 which has bearing in a housing 04. This shaft is provided with a crank 00 that is connected by a rod 00 with cam mechanism later to be described. The rotating heads 02 and I4 are therefore constructed substantially alike and are operated in a similar way. The head I4 carries a cutting tool 81 and a centrally mounted pilot 00 which is adapted to fit the hole in the blank and thereby hold the blank against movement lengthwise of the chute I! while the blank is being machined by the cutter 81. In the vertical wall of the chute I3 I provide a hole 88 through which the pilot 00 may extend when the head I4 is in its forward or operative position. The back wall of the chute is also cut out for a short distance as indicated at 00 in order to clear the cutter 01.

' One end of the chute I0 is closed, as shown at l I in order to provide a stop for the blanks when they are transferred from the position A to the last station of the machine, that is the tapping station. Here they are located between a sleeve 02, of substantially the same thickness as the blanks, and a reciprocable plunger 93, which is free to rotate, but is not positively driven. In line with it there is a blank holder 94, which is mounted in the hub of a gear 95 that is driven by a gear 96 on the shaft 66. On the other side of the blank holder 94 there is a further sleeve 91. The tap 98 has a curved shank 00 which extends through the sleeve 91, is curved through an angle of 90, and then extends out through another sleeve al to one side of the machine. Over this shank the nuts are fed and delivered into some suitable receptacle. The sleeves 92, 91 and 81' and the holder 94 are all removable and are selected to fit the nut being made. When a blank is to be threaded, it is pushed through the sleeve 02 into the blank holder 94, which is continuously rotated. As soon as the nut moves into the holder, it partakes of the rotation of the holder. After the blank has passed over the tap 98 it moves into the sleeve 91, and by its engagement with the walls of the latter serves to center and steady the tap. The sleeve 91" has a similar function.

The speed of rotation of the blank holder 94 remains constant at all times. However, it is necessary at times to provide nuts of a given size with different pitch threads, necessitating a different rate of speed of the blanks over the tap 98. This means that the plunger 93 must be advanced at a different rate, and as the movement of the plunger is eifected through a cam upon the shaft I4, I provide means for driving the shaft I4 at different rates of speed, so that the movement of the plunger 83 may be caused to correspond with the travel of the blank necessary for the use of any one of several taps of different pitch. This is accomplished by selectively driving the shaft I00, see Figure 3, at different speeds, this shaft being connected with the pinion II by driving connections, (not shown). On this shaft I00, I mount selectively a sprocket wheel I0 I having the requisite number of teeth to accomplish the desired rate of feed of the plunger 93. A chain I03 runs over this sprocket and a sprocket on shaft 66,-

being driven from a sprocket on the shaft I05 of motor I8. This chain I03 runs over an idler sprocket I02' which is suitably mounted to take up the slack regardless of the size of the sprocket wheel IOI being used. I may use more than one size of idler sprocket I02 or more than one length of chain I02 in' order to accommodate a considerable range of sizes of sprocket wheels II.

There is a transfer mechanism for moving the blanks in-chute 50, and a separate mechanism for moving the blanks in chutes 46 and I3. The two '5 mechanisms operate alternately. The machine frame carries a bracket I06 upon which is pivoted at I01 a lever I08, the lower end of which extends downwardly through the slot in the top of chute 50. This lever is adapted to swing from the position indicated in Figure 5 to a position such that its lower end will slide a blank to the left in that figure over to a position in front of the die 20. The upper end of the lever is connected with a rod I09 that is pivoted to one arm of the bell 15 crank lever I I0, the opposite arm of which is connected with a rod III by means-of which it is reciprocated from cam mechanism presently to be described. The cam mechanism is so designed that the lever I00 stands most of the time in the 20 position indicated in Figure 5. when a blank is delivered into the chute 50 from die 21, the lever makes a quick movement to transfer the blank to the intake and of die 20, and then quickly returns.

The other transfer mechanism comprises a rod 25 H2, which is slidable within a cylinder Ill, the latter being mounted upon the ends of three arms II4 carried by a rock shaft H5. The rod I I2 is provided with diametrical slots in which are mounted three identical transfer fingers H0, H1 30' and I I8, that are held in their slots by set screws 9 or the like. Near the finger III, and spaced away from it a distance corresponding to the larger diameter of the blank, is a spring finger I20, similarly mounted in the rod. The finger I It extends into the slot 48 in the top of chute 46, and the fingers H1, H0 and I20 extend into the slot in the top of chute I3. The rock shaft II! is provided with a crank I2I to which is attached a rod I22 that connects with the top of crank 85 40 on shaft 03 previously mentioned. By this means the shaft I I5 is oscillated, raising and lowering arms I I4 and the cylinder I I3, and with it the rod "2 and its fingers.

Cylinder H3 has two longitudinal slots I22 5' and I23 cut therein, through which the transfer fingers extend and are movable when the rod H0 is caused to move endwise. This endwise movement is effected by a rod I24 that is connected with the end of rod I I2 by a ball and socket joint 50 I25. The opposite end of rod I24 is similarly connected with one arm of a bell crank lever, I26, the other arm of which is pivoted to a rod I2I extending to the rear end of the machine, where it is pivoted to a crank I20 on a rock shaft I29 55' which extends transversely of the machine. The opposite end of this rock shaft has secured thereto another crank I30 which is pivoted to a rod I3I operated by cam mechanism to be described later. 0

When the fingers H6, III, III! and I20 have travelled to the left as far as they will go, that is to the position illustrated in Figure 5, the shaft 5 is rotated clockwise through a small angle sumcient to lift the fingers to a level above the top of the groove in the chutes 40 and 13, and then the rod H2 is moved to the right by a pull delivered through the rod I24. Each of the fingers H6, H1 and H8 is thereby moved to-the right in Figure 5 to a position beyond the next 7 station, that is to the right of the blanks delivered from dies 26 and 20, and to the right of the blank in position A. Next the shaft 5, as viewed in Figure 1, is turned anti-clockwise to swing the transfer fingers H6 and I ll down into 76 the chute groove and the transfer finger 1 with the spring finger I down into position on opposite sides of the forward face of die 28. A blank then moves out .of the die 26 into the chute 46 and a blank moves out of the die 28 into frictional engagement with the finger H1 and the spring finger I20. Thereafter the rod I24 is caused to push the rod I I2 back into the cylinder H3, or toward the left as viewed in Figure 5. The transfer fingers are thereby caused to travel through the groove, sliding the various blanks to- .ward the left, or into the'positlon's illustrated in Figure 5. Thetransfer fingers then rise again and the cycle of operations repeats itself. When this lifting of the fingers occurs, the blank at position A is held down both by the top wall of the chute 13 and by the engagement of the pilot as with the hole in the blank.

The plunger 93 which feeds the blank into the blank holder 94 for the tapping operation, is

slidable in bushings I32, I33 and I 34 mounted in a housing I35. The annular space I36 between the bushings I32 and I33 is connected with an oil delivery line I31, while the smaller annular space I36 between the bushings I33 and I34 is connected withan exhaust or leakage line I39 (see Figure 12) The forward end of the plunger 33 is hollow, and a port I40 extends through the wall of the plunger near the rear end of the hollow portion. When the plunger 93 has moved v forward far enough to advance a blank into the rotating holder 94, so that the delivery of cutting liquid is required, the port I40 comes into regis- .ter with the annular space I36, whereupon oil flows through the conductor I31, space I36, port I40 and the hollow interior of the plunger onto the cutting surfaces and along the longitudinal grooves of the tap 98. When the plunger 93 is retracted, the port I40 is covered by the bushing I33 and later exposed to the annular space I38 and the leakage conductor I39, so that the oil remaining in the hollow plunger tends to drain oil? through the conductor I39.

. I50, I5I and I52. Below these disks there is a Hence there is no delivery of cutting liquid except at the time when it is needed.

The movements of the plunger 93 backward and forward are effected by cam mechanism working through a rod HI and a crank I42 to oscillate a shaft I 43 mounted in bearings in a housing I44 supported upon a bracket I45. The opposite end of the shaft I43 carries a bifurcated crank arm I46, to the bifurcations of which are pivoted links I41 attached to a collar I48 on the extremity of the plunger 93.

The forward end of the main shaft I4 has keyed thereto a series of three spaced cam disks bracket I53 carrying rods I54 and I55. Levers I56 and I51 are pivotally mounted upon the rod I54, and levers I58, I59 and I60 are similarly mounted upon the rod I55. The lever I56, which is connected at its upper end to rod I3I, carries a cam follower which runs in a cam groove on the rear faceof disk I50. Lever I51, connected at its upper end to rod 86, carries two cam followers which run in similarly formed grooves on the forward face of disk- I 5I and the rear face of disk I52. Lever I58, which is connected at its upper end to rod III, has a follower running in the same groove on the rear face of disk I50 in which the follower of lever I56 runs. Lever I59, the upper end of which is connected with the rod 12, carries followers which run in similar grooves on theforward face of disk I50 and the rear face of disk I5I. Lever I60, the upper end of which is connected with rod I4I, carries a follower which runs in a cam groove I6I in th forward face of disk I52. v

The same cam disks I50 and I5I can be em- .ployed for nuts varying considerably in size, since I have not disclosed herein the hopper fromwhich the original rough blanks are fed, as this hopper may be of any conventional or other design, but in Figures-3 and '7, I have shown at I62 the vertical chute leading downwardly from the hopper along the rear side of plate in vertical alignment with the die 26. Each time. the plunger 32 is retracted, the column of blanks in the chute I62 descend until the lower one rests upon the bottom of the chute. Then when the plunger 32 advances, this bottom blankis engaged by the arbor 44 on the plunger and moves from the chute into the die, the top surface of the plunger supporting the column of blanks thereafter. At the .base of each-arbor 44, that is at the juncture of the arbor with the plunger proper, there is a conical surface which engages the blank as it is pressed through the die, and forms in the blank acountersunk surface.

The operation of the machine herein disclosed has been explained in connection with the description of its parts. However, some further explanation of my new method of manufacture and of the movements of the herein disclosed machine for carrying out that method, may be in order, reference being had particularly to the disclosure in Figures 7 to 22 inclusive.

Figures '7, 8 and 9, like Figure 4, show the condition of the machine when the crank 24 is forward. At this time the plunger 32 has removed the bottom blank from the chute I62 and pushed it through the die 26 to the position. shown, whereby the preceding blank has. been discharged into the chute 46, and the transfer finger I I6 has moved that blank over to the end of the chute in front of the die 21. Just previous to the forward movement of the crank, the transfer finger I08 has moved a blank along the chute 50 to a position in front of die 28, and then has immeblanks to be moved into position in front of them,

this movement of the plungers requiring very little power, but at the same time the plunger 43 is advanced to push a blank into the die 21 and force out the blank already in that die. Hence the expenditure of power is equalized to some extent. The condition of the parts associated with die 28 on the return stroke of the crank 24 is disclosed in Figure 10, where it will be seen that the sleeve 51 has been advanced to cause the reaming tool 5| to ream the hole in the blank and where the crowning cutter 53 is shown machining the exposed face of the blank.

While the rotating head 52 is machining a blank from one side, the head 14 is machining another blank from the other side. In Figure blank countersunk, as indicated at I1 I.

11 the head 14 is shown in inoperative position, corresponding to the condition of the machine illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9. But when the crank is in the position shown in Figure 10, the head 14 will have moved forward, the pilot 88 will have entered the hole in the blank at position A, and the cutter will be facing the exposed surface of the blank. At this same time also, the plunger 93 will have engaged the blank then in position at the end of chute I3 and will have pushed it first into the sleeve 92 and then into the rotating holder 94 and over the tap 98.

Figures 13 and 14 represent the blank in it's' original state, except that no attempt has been made to illustrate the roughness and inaccuracy to which it is subject. This blank may be, and preferably is, as much as .050 oversize. Its condition after it emerges from die 26 is illustrated in Figures 15 and 16, where its outer transverse dimensions have been reduced .020 or more, and its thickness slightly increased. At the same time one face has been countersunk as indicated at I10. Figure 17 illustrates the condition of the blank after passing through die 21, where its outer dimensions are reduced materially, another .020 for example, and the other face of the The condition of the blank after it emerges from the third die 28, and after the rotating head 52 has machined the blank, is shown in Figures 18 and 19. A further reduction of, say .010, has then been effected, the hole in the blank has been accurately desired surfacing could of course be substituted for either or both sides of the blanks. Figure 22 shows the completed nut following the tapping operation, in which the threads I15 are cut into the reamed hole.

As before remarked, the reducing operations serve not only to bring the blank down to accurate dimensions, but also to compact, harden, strengthen and smooth the metal, producing a nut of precision and fine finish which is superior in strength to nuts made by other methods.

While in the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings I have disclosed more or less in detail one particular machine for carrying the invention into effect, I desire it to be understood that such'detailed disclosure has been resorted to primarily for the purpose of fully illustrating the invention in accordance with the requirements of the statute, and that it is not to be construed as amounting to any limitation upon the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of blank forging dies provided with progressively smaller apertures extending through the dies adapted to have work blanks moved therethrough, a corresponding number of punches adapted to slide in said dies, each of said punches being provided with an arbor adapted to fit a hole in the blank, means for advancing said punches into said dies in timed relation to move the blanks through the dies, and means for transferring blanks expelled from certain of said dies to the next succeeding dies in the interim between successive strokes of said punches.

2. In a machine of the class'described, a pair of oppositely facing forging dies, provided with progressively smaller-tapered apertures, a crank from the exit end of one of said dies to the en- 5 trance end of another of said dies.

3. In a machine of the class described a first and third die both facing in a given direction provided with apertures adapted to have work blanks forced therethrough, a second 'die oppositely facing interposed between said first named dies and provided with an aperture adapted to have work blanks forced therethrough, a reciprocable cross head, a first and a third plunger connected therewith for cooperation with said first named dies and a second oppositely directed plunger connected with said cross head adapted to cooperate with said second die, said plungers being adapted to force nut blanks into said first 5 and third dies on one stroke of said cross head 20 the interior form of the die opening adapted to slide thereinto, and means for advancing said plunger far enough to force a blank partly through said die, whereby the succeeding blank will engage and press down any thin fin extruded from the first blank, and will'thereafter force 35 the first blank out of the die.

5. In a machine for finishing nut blanks, a forging die provided with an aperture adapted to have blanks forced therethi'ough for reducing, compacting and. smoothing the blanks, a punch 40 provided with a central arbor adapted to fit the central hole in a blank, means for reciprocating said punch for moving a blank partly through said die, the friction between said die and blank being greater than that between said arbor and 45 blank, whereby the blank remains in said die upon the retraction of said punch and is forced out of said die by the succeeding blank.

6. In a machine for finishing nut blanks, a forging die provided with an aperture for reducing, compacting and smoothing the blanks, a

punch provided with a central arbor adapted to fit the central hole in a blank, means for reciprocating said punch to force a blank nearly through said die, a transverse blank chute engaging the exit face of said die, the friction between said die and blank being greater. than that between said blank and arbor, whereby said arbor leaves the blank upon the reciprocation of said punch and the succeeding blank forces the first named blank out of said die into said chute, and means for moving blanks along said chute.

7. In a machine of the class described, a die for reducing, compacting and smoothing blanks, means for pushing a blank through said die far enough to cause one face of the blank to protrude from said exit endof the die, a rotatable tool for machining the blank while it is thus held in the die, means for moving said tool toward and from said die, and means for pushing the machined blank out of the die.

8. In a machine of the class described, a die for reducing, compacting and smoothing a blank, a plunger adapted to slide in said die, means for advancing said plunger far enough to push a blank through said die to such a position that one side of the blank protrudes from the exit end of said die and then retracting said plunger, and a rotatable tool adapted to machine the blank while it is thus held in the die, the blank which is advanced by the next forward movement of the plunger forcing the first named blank out of the die.

9. In a machine of the class described, a die provided with an aperture for reducing, compacting and smoothing a blank, a plunger adapted to slide in said aperture, means for advancing the plunger far enough to push the blank part way through the die and then retracting the plunger, a rotating reamer mounted to move axially toward and away from said die for reaming the hole in the blank while the plunger is retracted, the next forward movement of the plunger causing a succeeding blank to push the first named blank out of the die.

10. In a machine of the class described, a chute in which the nut blanks are adapted to slide, said chute having side walls adapted to guide the blanks by engagement with opposed wrench facets thereof, means for moving the blanks forward into a given position in said chute, a rotating head carrying a pilot adapted to enter the hole in the blank and carrying also a tool adapted to machine one face of the blank, means for advancing said head to cause the pilot and tool to engage the blank, and means for withdrawing said blank advancing means after the pilot has entered the hole in the blank and before the tool has finished its operation.

11. In a machine of the class described, a reducing die adapted to receive and reduce a blank, means for machining the blank from one side thereof while it is still in the die, means for expelling the blank and transferring it to another position, means for machining the blank from the other side at said last. named position, means for transferring the blank to a further position, and means for tapping the blank at said last named position.

12. In a machine of the class described, a die for reducing, compacting and smoothing a blank, means for pushing a blank through the die until the forward face of the blank is exposed, means for machining that face while the blank is held by said die, said first named means on thesucceding stroke pushing a succeding blank to the same position, whereby the first named blank is expelled from the die.

13. A nut-forming machine of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of nut forming forging dies supported by said frame and provided with progressively smaller polygonal apertures, and means for moving polygonal nut blanks through said apertures whereby the transverse dimensions of said blanks are reduced and the surface thereof hardened and smoothed.

14. A nut-forming machine of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of nutforming forging dies supported by said frame and provided with progressively smaller polyg- I and smoothed.

15. A nut-forming machine of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of nutforming forging dies supported by said frame and provided with progressively smaller polygonal apertures, means for transferring polygonal nut blanks from one of said dies to another, and means for moving polygonal nut blanks through said apertures whereby the transverse dimensions of said blanks are reduced and the surface thereof hardened and smoothed.

16. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of forging dies supl0: ported bysaid frame and provided with progressively smaller tapered apertures, means for moving blanks through said apertures whereby the transverse dimensions of said blanks are reduced and the surface thereof hardened and smoothed, 1 and means for transferring blanks from the exit end of one of said dies to the entrance end of another of said dies.

17. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of stationary forging dies supported by said frame and provided with progressively smaller apertures adapted to have blanks moved therethrough, a plurality of punches adapted to force blanks through said apertures, said punches being paired with said stationary dies, means for feeding blanks to the entrance end of one of said dies, means for transferring blanks from the exit end of one of said dies to the entrance end of another of said dies, and means for reciprocating said movable dies. 305

18. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of oppositely facing stationary forging dies supported by said frame and provided with progressively smaller apertures adapted to have blanks moved therethrough, a plurality of punches adapted to force blanks through said apertures, said punches being paired with said stationary dies, means for feeding blanks to the entrance end of one of said dies, means for transferring blanks from the exit end 40 of one of said dies to the entrance end of another of said dies, and means for reciprocating said punches whereby blanks are moved in one of said stationaryv dies upon each reciprocation of said punches. 45,

19. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a plurality of oppositely facing stationary forging dies supported by said frame and provided with progressively smaller apertures adapted to have blanks moved therethrough,

a cross-head slidably supported by said frame, a plurality of punches adapted to force blanks through said apertures and supported by said cross-head, said punches being paired with said stationary dies, means for feeding blanks to the entrance end of one of said dies, means for transferring blanks from the exit end of one of said dies to the entrance end of an oppositely facing die, and means for reciprocating said cross-head whereby blanks are moved in one of said apertures 00 upon each reciprocation of said cross-head.

20. A machine of the character described comprising a frame, a stationary forging die supported by said frame, a punch for moving nut blanks through said die, and means for reciprocating 

